The outcome of the Mt. Silver battle had not yet reached the distant Sinnoh region, so Cyrus had no idea what had happened to Team Rocket half an hour ago, let alone Caleb's identity...
At this moment, Cyrus's mood turned bitter.
His first thought wasn't to ask the young man in front of him who he was... but rather, 'how' this person had bypassed the gate and appeared inside the Spear Pillar, the ruins he had spent years meticulously planning to find!
Cyrus felt extremely unbalanced. But as the leader of an evil organization, he quickly suppressed his anger.
At the same time, he eyed the humanoid Pokémon beside the young man with suspicion.
Cyrus had seen Mewtwo before... When Team Galactic and Team Rocket were discussing cooperation, Giovanni had once demonstrated Mewtwo's power to him.
A young man with Mewtwo, flanked by Dialga and Palkia… Cyrus's expression instantly became guarded and grave.
He stared at Caleb, an inexplicable alarm blaring in his mind, and shouted, "Who are you?!"
Caleb yawned, not interested in answering. Instead, he turned to Mewtwo and said, "Handle him. We still have to head to Hoenn soon."
"Mm." Mewtwo's eyes glowed blue as it teleported right in front of Cyrus, who hadn't even reacted yet, and blasted him flying over a dozen meters with a burst of psychic energy.
Team Galactic's executives who had been guarding the gate rushed in upon hearing the commotion, only to see their boss in a pathetic state.
"Boss!" Mars cried out in shock.
"Who the hell are you?!" Jupiter frowned at Caleb.
"Just a passing traveler," Caleb replied indifferently.
Galactic Team executives: "???"
Just then, screams suddenly erupted from outside...
A moment later, a figure in a black trench coat burst into the Spear Pillar at high speed, accompanied by a Garchomp.
And then she saw Cyrus lying on the ground like a dead fish, his eyes unfocused, drool dripping from his mouth.
Cynthia, who had been frantic thinking Cyrus had already taken control of Dialga and Palkia: "???"
Caleb also noticed Cynthia's sudden arrival. Everything matched the previous timeline.
In the last timeline, Cynthia had charged in just like this, only to run into Cyrus, who had successfully seized control of Dialga and Palkia, leading to her brutal death.
Seeing that this world's Cynthia was unharmed, Caleb inwardly sighed in relief.
Meanwhile, Mars finally registered Cyrus's condition. Furious, she glared at Caleb and demanded, "What did you do to our boss?!"
Caleb glanced at Cyrus, then turned to Mewtwo who had just retrieved the Red Chain, and asked, "Did you wipe his mind?"
Mewtwo nodded. It had "accidentally" erased all of his memories.
Caleb grinned and patted Mewtwo's shoulder, "Nice work, buddy!"
Mars, still being ignored, stomped her foot in frustration.
Caleb continued to pay her no mind and instead looked at Cynthia. "I'll leave the rest to you. That shouldn't be a problem, right?"
Cynthia swept a cold gaze over the remaining Team Galactic members. The Sinnoh forces were already on their way.
Without the threat of Dialga and Palkia, the rest were nothing more than small fry to her.
Seeing her reaction, Caleb nodded and prepared to leave without another word.
"Wait!" Cynthia called out.
Caleb turned, giving her a questioning look.
This world's Cynthia wasn't the one he knew. Her demeanor, her aura... everything about her felt unfamiliar to him.
So, he had no intention of getting involved with her any further. Especially since Steven was still waiting for rescue in Hoenn.
Cynthia studied his handsome face and asked, "What's your name?"
Caleb pointed at himself, "Me?"
Cynthia nodded.
Caleb thought for a moment, then said, "I'm just a passerby in this world. If you don't mind… you can call me Red."
'It shouldn't be a problem to impersonate Red in a world without the real Red, right?'
"I see. Thank you… Red," Cynthia said solemnly.
Caleb chuckled softly, then turned and left with Mewtwo without another word.
Dialga and Palkia watched his retreating figure until he disappeared from sight, only then returning to their respective dimensions...
....
Since Hoenn hadn't been unlocked, Caleb couldn't warp there directly using the Warp Beacon...
So, he had to return to Vermilion City in Kanto first, where he bought a ferry ticket to Hoenn.
Watching the trainers with their Pokémon around him, Caleb felt that everything he'd done in this world was worth it.
'This is what the real Pokémon world should be like!'
Caleb lounged in a corner, happily holding Mimikyu in his arms.
Just then, a voice came from beside him, "Excuse me… Is that a Piplup?"
Caleb looked up to see a pretty girl with chestnut-brown short hair and a beret standing in front of him. She looked about seventeen or eighteen, exuding a gentle aura.
He raised an eyebrow and lifted Mimikyu, who was currently disguised as a Piplup, in his arms, "Want to let this lady hold you?"
Mimikyu nodded lightly.
"Thank you!" The girl accepted Mimikyu with a soft smile.
Caleb leaned back against the wooden bench, casually glancing around as he asked, "Traveling alone?"
"Mhm," the girl nodded.
"You're not from Kanto, are you? Here for work or travel?"
The girl chuckled, "I'm from Kalos. I came to meet a friend."
Caleb nodded thoughtfully, then pulled out a League Credit red envelope he'd obtained from the previous Instance and bought two juices. He handed one to the girl.
"Hoenn isn't very safe right now. I think it'd be better for you to stay in Kanto for now."
With Team Rocket's plans in Kanto foiled, the League forces would undoubtedly restore order swiftly.
Compared to Hoenn, which was currently overrun by Team Aqua and Team Magma, Kanto was much safer.
The girl blinked, looking at the juice in her hands.
"Thank you," she said.
Just then, nearby passengers began chatting.
"Hey, did you hear? During the Mt. Silver battle, there was this mysterious trainer who punched Giovanni and kicked Mewtwo's ass! He single-handedly saved the Elite Four from certain defeat!"
"Of course I heard! We owe him so much for saving Kanto! Too bad he disappeared after the battle. No one knows where he went…"
"If only I could meet him someday…"
Caleb sipped his juice through a straw, reclining lazily in his seat as he closed his eyes.
A few hours later, with a long, melodious horn blast, the ferry finally arrived in Hoenn.
Caleb blended into the crowd and disembarked with the other passengers...
~~~
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